Apparatus for removing air bags from retreaded tires



y 3, 1950 J. H. F. KENT 2,508,675

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AIR BAGS FROM RETREADED TIRES Filed March 9, 1948 lkio b Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED 2,508,137 APPARATUS-EOE REMOVING. A'IRZBAGS 'FROM RETREADED TIRES Jan Herbert-*Farqiiharson Kent, wortinzg Basinzstoke, 1England, as"signor of one-half to Auto Tyre Services Limited, -Worting, Basinzstoke,

England, a company of Great Britain ApplicatiofiMarch 9, 1948, Sefial No. 13,927 In-GreatBi-itain March 20, 195! tion and requires -a g'o'oddeal of manipulation.

"frequently resulting in serious damageto the bag soas to render it incapable of-further-use.

Thisinvention ha'sfor example a simple' metho-d anii'apparatus for manipulating 'thetyre cover soiasto facilitate the withdrawal o'fthe pressure "bag from the tyre cover on completion-oi vulcani'zation, this operation being known inthe trade as debagging.

"According to this invention, when handling ty'resfa's in'a retreading operation, pressure isapl pliedto the tyre cover simultaneously at several .Ifpoirftss-pace'd around the periphery or tread of "thetyre, the result of which pressure, is t'o-caiis'e "the Walls "of the tyre to spread so that the distano'separ'ating the beads is increased,*thus"facilitating removal or insertion of thepressure tube.

A device for applying pressure 'to the tyrein accordance with this invention :may comprise a plurality of members arranged in a ring' and capable of displacement radially in relationtoa coinmon centre by which pr'essurecan"be'applieii to thty're when placed insidethering.

In one construction the device comprisesa"tai)l'e for supportin the tyre in "a lh'orizontalcnflat 'pos'ition'and slidablyor otherwise 'movably mounted in relation to the tableare a pluralityoftyre engaging elements, lever mechanism bein g'associated with the elements =bywhich "they"can moved radially into and out 'of engagement with 'a'tyre when placed on'the table so as to apply the necessary pressure. The elements :"vvhi'ch may consist of plates having a base por- *tion may be directly mounted on thet'alile.

"The lever mechanism may consist cfa'seri'es of hell crank levers fulcrumed about centres ariang'edon'a-circIe below the level of the table '-stnt l havingone arm projecting above the plane 'o'f'the table for connection to links, whose inner or free ends are fitted with't'yreenga'gin'g plates. The plates "which may be' curved in section are preferably hingedly attached to the ends of the links in order to accommodate themselves to the treadtof the-atyre.

Theather and :lowermost arm of :eachmbell cranklever is :extended ,inwardiy connection to :anactuator common-to rthe several hell crank levers so "that 1 an upward or downward movement of 'theactuator 2 will "rock the bell .tcrank levers about their iulcrums and-'so-rmove thezplates inwardly or outwardly. fThe actuator may the :10 controlled by :means :of :screwgear 'ortfor :ex-

ample a mydraulic ram.

The iinvention is :illustrateddn the accompanyingz drawins's fin which' fii'gni is a diagrammatic plan :view ct-2a tyre expanding apparatuswin-zaccordance with one 'embodimenti'oi the invention.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation: of tithe vapparatr m :of Fig. 11 on an enlarged scale showin .'.the

actuating mechanismitherefor. Fin-:3 is aseparate view in elevation "of a-fitread for 'pressure applyingmember as embodied :irrthe mechanism of Fig. 2. "Figs. 4" and 5 are se'ctionalyi'ewson the line 4 4" 'of Fig."- S anti showing- :a tyre lifting 'device -r'espectively in its inoperative and op'era- 'tive positions.

Referring to the. drawings-*the apparatus comprisesa support in *the "form-or a" tahil'e l onwhich a *tyre' to be expanded or *dba'gged' positioned prior to*en"gagement"-by -'a plurality "of itread-iengaging elements 2; which 'are movable radially in relation to the centre o'f' talile -*l to engage and apply pressure "tothejtre'ad of the tyre sufii'eient *to-cause separati'on of the wallsthereo'f.

-iiiagrammatica1iy-'shown in Fig. 1, conveniently there are at least sixmressure elements 2, *e'ig'lit being *suflicient *for normal sizes 1 of ityre. Each Iement consists 0? "an upstandin -inmate plate 3 having a base-portion! sliiiable onthesur- "face' 'li o'f -table Lwhi'ch' for convenience in "operation, is arranged to support the tyrein a i'horisome] position.

Each of the lemetits 2 Zis displaceable by linkage comprising a *b'll crank lever indicated "gen- *erally "at" 6, I one arm "I "of-which, 'being the short arm, is connected through 1a linlr tto lugs attachedto the backofthe'arcuateplatewby means of a pivot film-l0. The pin I'Ois 'removab1yflxed in' -positlon's'o that the elements l'can-if-necessary -be substituted for othermf smaller or larger size "as forexample when' a machine is converted from handling small to g'iant size tyres.

As shown in Fig-"2,attached to theperimter of thetable i on-theunderside thereor are a'series of -'brackets H to" =which"the bell crank lever- 6 are 'pivoted 'at f2-,'the 1owerm'ost and longer arms 56 "P3" of sald' -levers belng extended inwardly -to*"tlie centre or table for operation by an actuator M which may 'be power or hand-operated and is common to each of the elements 2.

It will be apparent that axial displacement of the actuator! will produce acorresponding radial displacement of theelements '2 over the surface 5 of the table.

In the embodiment illustrated the table I 1 It will be obvious that the annular rent of the table I shown may be replaced by' asupport having radial arms to positionand support the of the element 2.

wardly against its pivot. An aperture is cut in wall 3 of the element 2 so as to permit displacement of the finger 25 to the position shown in Fig. 5 against pressure of a return spring 28 and where the further upward movement of the tyre, indicated at T, is arrested by coming into contact with the wall 3.

V The purpose of the finger device 25 is to lift the tyre T from off the surface 5 of the table before it has made contact with the back wall 3 As already explained and as shown in Fig. 4 the finger 25 will first engage the tyre causing the same to lift without applying squeezing pressure at the tread until it is clear of the table and is in engagement with the arcuate face 3 as in Fig. 5: in this position contyre, the bell cranks being mounted on a part of the machine frame. In another alternative the tyre may be supported by the elements-2'- erated by a hydraulic ram having a piston l5 -movable in a cylinder it supported by a part H of the machine framing. It will be noted that the framing l1 comprises a central opening l8 for insertion of a sleeve l9 supporting the cylinder I6 and attached to which is a thrust plate 20. Plate. is formed with an extension 2| providing a gland housing and a means of guiding a piston rod 22 connected at one end to the piston 15' of the ram and at its other end to the actuator. M; The actuator [4 consists of a plate having a number of lugs 23 to which are hingedly attached each oilinks 24 coupling the actuator 14 to the bell crank arms l3.

It will be obvious that ondisplacement of the piston I5 in it, the piston .rod 22 will be caused to move upwardly corresponding to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 where the bell crank 6 has pivoted about its hinge l2 with the tread plate 3 withdrawn towards the outer edge of table 5. In operation, therefore, a tyre to be debagged is placed on the table I when by admitting pressure to the upper side of piston IS, the latter will move downwardly to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, transmitting through rod 22 a downward pull on the arms 13, which in turn will be transferredinto an inwardly directed and radially applied pressure as indicated by the arrows X in Figs. 1 and 2, causing 'the members 2 to move inwardly into engagement with the tread of the tyre on table I so reducing its diameter inthe medial plane of the tyre. This reduction indiameter of the tread will cause the beads of the tyre to separate so that the pressure bag normally. placed inside the tyre during the vulcanising operation can easily be withdrawn. v

The apparatus according to a further feature of the invention incorporates meansfor producing a relative displacement between the tyre and its supportprior to engagement of the tread elements with the tyre, the purpose being to provide sufiicient clearance between the tyre and support for the wall of the tyre to expand.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 each of the tread engaging elements 2 is preferably fitted with a lifting device comprising .a finger element 25 mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis on the base 4 of the arcuate plate. The finger 25 is preferably arch shaped as shown providing a tyre containing face 26, about which the tread section of the tyre will roll, when subjected to the leys ns adi u 9 neerfi as it s rc d acktinued movement of 3 will squeeze the tread, sufilcient space being available between the tyre and-the surface 5 to permit the lower bead to move downwards at the same time as the upper bead moves upwards as .the tyre is compressed.

It will be obvious that by hingedly attaching the elements 2 to the thrust elements 8, the plates will automatically accommodate themselves to the tread of the tyre and for the same reason there may be provided a certain amount of play in the linkage connections in a plane parallel to the surface of the table for the samepurpose. In order also to accommodate themselves to the tread of the tyre and in order to provide tor the handling of varying sizes of tyres in the same apparatus the points of connection of the lever arms to the links may be adjustable. For this purpose the central links 24 may be provided with additional pivot holes 24.

Movement of the elements 2 may be obtained in a number of ways and in place of lever mechanisms, it may be convenient to employ cam and roller mechanisms. Similarly we may substitute screw operating gear for displacing the actuator I4 upwardly and downwardly. Positive movement of the actuator may be unidirectional in a direction to compress the tyre, the inherent resiliency of the tyre being relied on to restore the parts to their open position with elements dispersed radially. Some form of quick release mechanism may be fitted which as applied to a. hydraulically actuated ram may consist of a pressure release valve to release the fluid pressure behind the piston.

In certain cases it may be desirable to increas the amount of separation of the beads at a particular point of the tyre and for this purpose, one of the plates may be arranged to have a lead in relation to the others, so that in operation'it receives a greater displacement than the remainder.

It will be understood that the apparatus of this invention is equally applicable to debagging new tyres after vulcanisation.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for handling tyres the combination of a support adapted to receive a tyre, a series of tread engaging elements freely slidable on the support so as to be capable of movement into and out of engagement with the tread of said tyre, a series of lever members fulcrumed at points spaced around the perimeter of'the tyre, a common actuating means connected respectively to said lever members for rocking said lever members about their fulcrums, and links respectively connecting said lever members to the tread engaging elements.

2. In apparatus for handling tyres the com bination of a support adapted to receive a tyre, a.

series of tread engaging elements freely slidable on the support so as to be capable of movement into and out of engagement with the tread of said tyre, a series of two armed levers, means mounting said levers on the support at points circumferentially spaced in relation to the tyre, links respectively connecting one arm of each of said levers to a tread engaging element, and a single actuating means adjustably connected to the other arms of said levers.

3. In apparatus for handling tyres, the combination of a support for the tyre, a series of tread engaging elements including a base portion and an upstanding rim portion adapted for engagement with the tread of a tyre, said base portion being slidable on the support, a common actuating means and a series of two armed levers spaced circumferentially in relation to the tyre, one arm of each of said levers being adjustably connected to the rim portion of the tread engaging element and the other to the actuating means.

4. Apparatus for handling tyres, comprising a support for the tyre, a series of tread engaging elements slidable over the surface of said support so as to be capable of movement into and out of engagement with the tread of the tyre, other support means for the tyre positioned on the support for lifting the tyre bodily in relation thereto, and a common actuating means for bringing about a displacement of the tread engaging elements and of said other support means so that before the tread engaging elements contact the tread, said other support means becomes operative to hold the tyre spaced from its support.

5. In apparatus for handling tyres, the combination of a support adapted to receive a tyre, a series of tread engaging elements freely slidable on the support so as to be capable of movement into and out of engagement with the tread of the tyre, a series of two armed levers, means mounting said levers on said support at points circumferentially spaced in relation to the tyre, links respectively connecting one arm of each of said levers to a tread engaging element, a single actuating means adjustably connected to the other arms of said levers, and means operable by said actuating means for causing relative displacement between the tyre and said support prior to the application of pressure on the tyre through said tread engaging elements so as to provide for freedom of movement of the tyre wall adjacent said support.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for causing relative displacement between the tyre and the support comprises a plurality of members adapted to exert a prying action on the tyre.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for causing relative displacement between the tyre and the support comprises a plurality of members respectively carried by the tread engaging elements and being adapted to exert a prying action on the tyre.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for causing relative displacement between the tyre and the support comprises a plurality of finger pieces pivoted respectively to the tread engaging elements at the bases thereof and being swingable about their respective pivots to move the tyre away from said support before the tyre is engaged by said tread engaging elements.

9. In apparatus for handling tyres the combination of a support adapted to receive a tyre, a series of tread engaging elements guided by the support for movements towards and from the tyre for engagement with the tread of said tyre, a common actuating means, and mechanism positively connecting said elements to said actuating means, said mechanism including a series of brackets attached to said support, a series of short and long armed levers fulcrumed respectively on said brackets, links respectively connecting the short arms of said levers to the tread engaging elements, and means connecting the long arms of said levers to said actuating means.

JAN HERBERT FARQUHARSON KENT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Stevens Dec. 3, 1929 Number 

